Flabby Arms

Flabby arms are one of the easiest parts of the body to firm and shape and also one of the most neglected. So often men and women (but especially women) go on diets with the goal of reducing fat in a certain location, usually the belly or thighs.

The truth is, diet is not a very effective way of reducing the size or changing the shape of a body part. While the midsection and abdominal region do show impressive changes from weight loss alone, flabby arms have to be toned through exercise to look their best. A person can be of normal weight and still have no muscle tone in the arms.

Flabby arms respond best to exercise routines that provide some resistance that forces the muscles to firm up and get stronger. Some sports that are especially effective at getting rid of flabby arms include swimming, rowing (or ‘crew’), canoeing, climbing, tennis, volleyball, and basketball.

Many common outdoor activities are also good at firming up flabby arms. These include chopping wood, pruning shrubbery, gardening (especially anything that involves digging with a shovel), painting, and carpentry.

Weight training is one of the fastest ways to get rid of flabby arms, and it has the advantage of building muscle. Since muscle burns more calories than fat, each pound of fat you replace with a pound of muscle kicks your metabolism up a notch so that eventually you burn more calories even while at rest.

Using weights to firm flabby arms is a great way to go, but it’s important to train the entire upper body, not just a single muscle group. Pick a routine that works all the upper arm muscles, the shoulder and back muscles, and the chest muscles too. This is as important for women as it is for men. By working the entire upper body the muscle groups stay in balance and you achieve a slimmer look all over while increasing energy and strength.

Many people worry that weight training will make them look like body builders. This is a needless concern. Body builders train four to six hours per day and use extremely heavy weights that no one lifting hand weights at home would ever even consider.

Women have a hormonal balance that makes the creation of supersized muscles almost impossible. A woman lifting weights at home three hours a week will achieve a toned, lean appearance that bears no resemblance to the cover of any muscle magazine. Women often focus on their abs and their thighs and ignore their upper bodies. This is a big mistake, since slender arms and a firm upper body goes farther to create an overall appearance of health and slimness than a flat belly ever can.

Whatever method you choose to shape and firm your arms, stick with it and you’ll be amazed at how fast flabby arm muscles respond. Six weeks of at any of the above-mentioned exercises (at about three hours per week) will show noticeable results, and three months will have your friends asking what your secret is.

Go ahead and tell them: You can always use an exercise partner!